Terminal insertion apparatus

ABSTRACT

A string of side-by-side connected terminals and a housing having terminal receiving compartments are stepped toward a station at which the connection between adjacent terminals or selectively between and n th and an n th + 1 terminal is severed, and the one or plurality of terminals severed from the string inserted by one operation into the respective housing compartment.

[ Mar. 19, 1974 United States Patent [191 Boutcher et a].

3,553,836 l/l971 Cootes.........,...... 29/203 D [5 TERMINAL INSERTION APPARATUS Inventors: Andrew Graham Boutcher,

Dauphin; William LeRoy Busler, Harrisburg, both of Pa.

Primary Examiner-Thomas H. Eager ABSTRACT A string of side-by-side connected terminals and a housing having terminal receiving compartments are stepped toward a station at which the connection be- [52] U.S. Cl. 29/203 B, 29/203 D tween adjacent terminals or selectively between and n [51] Int Cl 5 7 B EJ5 th and an n th 1 terminal is severed, and the one or Field of Search......

plurality of terminals severed from the string inserted by one operation into the respective housing compartment.

3,545,606 Bennett...................,.,....... 29/203 B 14 Claims, 29 Drawing Figures PATENTE DHAR 19 I974 sum mm 15 PATENTED MAR 19 I974 sum '03U F15 PATENTED "AR 19 1974 saw nu ur 15 PATENTED "AR 1 9 I974 sum as HF 15 PATENTEBHAR 19 1974 ,JIBI

SHEU'070F15' mmmumm 3791.090

' sum '10UF15 Pmmeum 19 mm 37970230 SHEET 110F 15 PAIENTEUHAR 19 1914 3,791,090

SHEET 13 0F 15 PAIENTED MAR 9 I974 sum '11; or 15 Pmmnznumsmu 3791.090

SHEET 150F15 TERMINAL INSERTION APPARATUS This invention relates to a machine for inserting switch terminals into a switch contact block and, more specifically, to a machine for placing such terminals in said contact block automatically with selective interconnection of adjacent terminals.

The insertion of plural side-by-side terminals in a housing has been well known in the art. However, such side-by-side terminal positioning with selective interconnection of adjacent terminals has required a great deal of manual operation, thereby materially increasing costs and providing less reliability then is obtained by automated machinery.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a terminal insertion apparatus which selectively interconnects adjacent terminals while placing the terminals in the housing. This is provided by the operation of a terminal severing device which severs the interconnection of terminals on a terminal strip during terminal insertion into the housing, the terminal severing device being inhibited from operation by switches selectively positioned on the lower table and actuated by movement of the upper table carrying the housing for terminal insertion therein. Movement of the upper table to the preselected switch position indicates that the terminal to be installed in the housing at that position is not to be severed and thereby inhibits the severing apparatus. In this manner, adjacent terminals in the housing are interconnected. A second set of terminals is placed in the housing by manually positioning the housing with the first set of terminals therein in a second nest atanother point on the upper table. In practice, one housing without terminals and one housing with the first set of terminals already therein can be operated upon simultaneously.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a terminal insertion apparatus capable of automatically inserting plural terminals in a housing while selectively interconnecting adjacent terminals.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a terminal insertion apparatus capable of positioning selectively interconnected adjacent terminals in a housing automatically and at low cost.

The above objects and still further objects of this invention will immediately become apparent to those skilled in the art after consideration of the following preferred embodiment thereof, which is provided by way ofexample and not by way of limitation, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying the principles of this invention; 1

FIG. 2 is a three dimensional drawing of the connector housing partially broken away showing the contacts in position;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are three dimensional drawings illustrating the two contacts of the invention;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic drawings illustrating the switching mechanism of the connector housing which the present invention is designed to assemble;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG. 1 with parts broken away showing the main drive cylinders and associated linkage;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged drawing of the power head shown on the left of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view looking along the line 9-9 of FIG. 8 showing the feed mechanism and associated structure;

FIG. 10 is a view looking along the line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a view looking along the line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 12-12 of FIG. 8 illustrating the primary and secondary slide mechanisms actuating the insertion feed and shear head;

FIG. 13 is a view taken along the lines 13-13 of FIG. 9 illustrating the insertion blade and its associated backup structure and guiding gibs;

FIG. 14 is a view taken along the lines 14-14 of FIG. 9 illustrating the terminal feed mechanism;

FIG. 15 is a view taken along the lines 15-15 of FIG. 14 showing some more of the structure of the feed mechanism;

FIG. 16 is a view taken along the line 16-16 substantially of FIG. 14 showing the terminal feed path with the large terminal in place showing the clearance that would be required for the large terminal, it being obvious that the short terminal will fit in the same cavity;

FIG. 17 is a view taken along the lines 17-17 of FIG. 9 the purpose of which is to show the shear mechanism and the terminal guide means located at the bottom of the head;

FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIG. 17 but showing the shear mechanism in its shearing position and the insertion mechanism in its inserted position;

FIG. 19 is a view taken along the lines 19-19 of FIG.

17 showing the terminal guide means and the lower section of the head. This is the mechanism that guides the terminal into the housing;

FIGS. 20 and 21 are enlarged for fragmentary views illustrating the single and double feature of the terminal insertion;

FIG. 22 is a view taken along the lines 22-22 of FIG. 17 illustrating the shear and the terminal holding means; I

FIG. 23 is a view taken along the lines 23-23 of FIG. 18 and is similar to FIG. 22 showing the mechanism in its closed position having removed the connecting slug between the two terminals;

FIG. 24 is a view similar to FIG. 23 but illustrating a double terminal being removed;

FIG. 25 is a view taken along thelines 25-25 of FIG. 7. This is illustrating the table advancing mechanism;

FIG. 26 is a view taken along the lines 26-26 of FIG. 25 showing more of the associated structure of the table advancing mechanism and also the table locating mechanism which indicates whenthe table has reached its proper position;

FIG. 27 is aview taken along the lines 27-27 of FIG. 26 illustrating the cam mechanism which is carried on the terminal positioning table moving mechanism for actuating the mechanism which permits us to know when the table has been properly aligned;

FIG. 28 is a view taken along the lines 28-28 of FIG. 27 illustrating the nest of the left side of the table, said nest having an injection mechanism; and

FIG. 29 is a view looking along lines 29-29 of FIG. 28 also showing more of the associated structure of this ejecting mechanism.

This invention relates to a machine for inserting switch terminals into a switch contact block. The device includes a main drive assembly 1 for supplying the power to operate a pair of inserter heads 3 and 5, the inserter heads being mirror images of each other. A table 7 'is provided having its own source of power which can be stepped along under the inserter heads,

the table including a pair of nests 9 and 11 mounted thereon which are stepped along under the inserter head along with the table in a manner to be described. A pair of terminal supply reels 13 and 15 provide terminals in strip form over terminal guide means 19, the mechanisms 15, 17 and 19 being mounted to a table 21 which supports the entire switch contact assembly machine. The machine of FIG. 1 is designed generally to provide a switch contact block with terminals therein of the type generally shown in FIG. 2. A contact block 23 which is pre-formed of plastic or the like has a plurality of pushbutton switches 25 passing through apertures in the bottom thereof, the pushbutton switches actuating a set of slides 27 positioned in the interior of the housing 23. Inward movement of the pushbutton 25 causes the slides 27 to move laterally in pre-determined manner as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In operation, a housing 23 with pushbuttons 25 and slides 27 will be placed into the nest 9 of FIG. 1 for insertion into the machine. During operation of the machine a terminal as shown in FIG. 4 will be inserted into the housing 23, a series of such terminals being placed into the housing all on one side thereof. After a series of contacts 29 has been placed into the housing 23, and the machine has gone through a cycle, the housing is then placed into the nest 11 and a new housing with no contacts therein is placed into nest 9. The cycle is then repeated whereupon -the operation described above takes place with the housing in nest 9 whereas terminals 31 of the type shown in FIG. 3 are placed into the other side of the housing 23. With reference to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the blade of contact 31 is positioned above the blade of contact 29 and is intimate therewith. When the pushbuttons 25 are operated in the manner described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, it can be seen that the blades are intimately contacting (FIG. 5). However, with insertion of the pushbutton 25, the slide bars are moved to the left which forces the blade of terminal 31 upwardly over the cam 33 to disengage the blades 29 and 31. An assembly 1 of FIG. 1 is described in greater detail in FIG. 7. The drive assembly 1 includes a housing 35 having a rigid center section 37 to which are mounted a pair of pivot blocks 39, 41. Fitted in the blocks 39 and 41 are a pair of actuating arms 43 and'45 which rotate about the pivots 47 and 49 and are shaped'to be able to work side-by-side with their drive legs in the same plane, side legs 51 and 53 extending through the housing wall 35 and into respective inserter heads 3 and 5 to provide power thereto. The arms 43 and are driven by a pair of air cylinders 55 and 57, each air cylinder driving a piston rod 59, 61 through a connecting block 63 and 65 to drive a connecting arm 67 and 69. A pair of switch contacts 71 and 73 are actuated by a contact 75 on the connecting block 63 due to the upward and downward movement thereof, the function thereof being described in more detail hereinbelow. Similarly, a pair of contacts 77 and 79 is provided to make contact with the contact member 81 on the connecting block 65, the function thereof also to be explained in more detail hereinbelow. The details of the table 7 with nests 9 and 11 wiil now be explained in more detail, first with reference to FIG. 7.

Mounted on the support table 21 is a pair of guide rods 83 and 85 which cooperate with bearing members 87 and 89 mounted on tabie 7. The table 7 with bearing members 87 and 89 thereon will slide inwardly and outwardly along the guide rods 83 and 85 when moving the table under the inserter heads as previousl explained.

When the table is inserted completed under the in serter heads, it is advanced upwardly in a step-by-step manner by means of the advancing mechanism 91 which will be explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 25 and 26. A rack bar 93 is mounted to the underside of table 7 within a U-shaped member 95 and is held therein by a pair of gibs 97 and 99 which are secured to the U-shaped member by means of screws 101 and 103 or the like. The rack member 93 has a rack portion comprising a plurality of teeth 105 on the right side thereof as viewed in FIG. 26. The left side of the rack bar as viewed in FIG. 6 has a plurality of grooves 107 for receiving a pin 109 in a manner which will be explained in detail hereinbelow.

The rack member 93 is adjustably mounted by means of a screw member 111 which is threaded into the rack member 93 as best shown in FIG. 25 and which can move the rack member within the U-shaped members. The threaded member 111 is journaled for rotation in a block 113 which is secured to the underside of table 7. The teeth 105 cooperate with a driving pawl 115 (FIG. 25) which is spring biased upwardly by spring 117. Advancing pawl 115 is pivoted on the pivot 119 in a member 121 which is carried in a main slide 123. Slide 123 is guided by a pair of gibs 125 and 127 which are secured to a main base member 129 by means of screw members 131 and 133 or the like. The advancing pawl assembly is advanced by a piston 135 by means of a piston rod 137 which is threaded to a piston header 139. The piston header 139 is pivotedly connected by means of a pivot 141 to the member 121. Integral with the support member 129 is a plate 43 on the outside of which is carried a switch 145 and on the inside of which is mounted a block 147 which carries the pin 109 and a spring 149 in a groove 151 therein. Extending transversely through pin 109 and mounted thereto by means of a pin 153 is a rod 155 which operates the switch 145 to operate the pin 109 by causing it to move in a vertical direction by means of cam plate 157 (FIG. 27) which is connected to the slide 123. Cam plate 157 is secured to lever 123 by means of fasteners 159 as best Show in FIG. 27.

The length of the stroke of piston 135 is controlled by a solenoid 61 (FIG. 26) through an interconnected pin 163 which cooperates with an elongated aperture 165 in the slide 123. When the pin 163 is in the slide 165, the travel of slide 123 is limited to the length of the aperture 165. This provides the short movement required for the step-by-step operation of the table 7 as explained previously. When the table 7 has performed the necessary number of steps as predetermined, a

switch (not shown) is operated which causes the solenoid 161 to operate and withdraw the pin 173 from the aperture 165. This withdrawal is provided by means of a bias due to the spring 167. At this point, further operation of the air cylinder 135 will cause the table 7 to move outwardly until it is in a completely relaxed position in its outward position as shown in FIG. 1. During step-by-step operation of the table 7, it is necessary that the advancing pawl 115 be intermittently caused to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction about the pin 119 in order that it be permitted to advance to the next tooth 105. This is provided by means of the cam bar 169 which is mounted on a fixed plate 147; this provides a camming action against the camming surface 171 of the advancing pawl 115. It can therefore be seen that the advancing pawl 115, assuming operation is starting as shown in FIG. 25, will be moved to the rear as the piston 135 is relaxed and cause the camming surface 171 to be moved to the right and under the cam bar 169. In this condition, the next operation of the air cylinder will cause the table to advance thereby allowing the pawl 115 to move forward again and be raised up into the next notch 105. As the rod 137 moves forward, the advancing pawl 115 is then moved to the left and out of contact with the cam 169, allowing the finger 173 on the upper tip thereof to engage the next notch 105 and advance the table by the length of one notch 105. This will continue on a notch-by-notch basis until the table 7 has advanced outwardly the predetermined number of notches whereupon an operation will continue as described above.

The head 5 will now be described it being understood that the head 3 is identical except that is is a mirror image and the parts are therefore reversed in mirror image manner. The lever end 51 of lever 43 provides the driving power for the head 5 as does the lever end 53 of the lever 52 for the head 3. Lever end 51 engages a pair of blocks 179 (FIGS. 8 and 11) which are secured to the main slide 181 by means of fasteners 183. Each time the machine cycles, the levers 52 and 43 reciprocate thereby causing the main slide 181 to reciprocate. The terminal advancing mechanism operates directly off the main slide 181 to advance a terminal for each cycle of the machine. For each reciprocation of the main shaft 181, the cam 185 is moved therealong,

the pivot 189 ofthe lever 191 moving in the groove 187 causing the lever 191 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 11 and causing the pivot 193 which is rigidly secured to the lever 191 to rotate therewith. The shaft 193 is supported for rotation in block 195. On its opposite end it is rigidly secured to lever 197 (FIG. 9) which is pivotally connected at pivot 199 to a bell crank 201. An adjustable arm 203 is secured to the long arm of bell crank 201 by screws 205, the arm 203 engaging a pin 207 in the feed advance slide 209. Referring now to FIGS. 14 and 15, slide 209 carries a feed finger 211 pivotally connected to slide 209 by a pin 213. Feed finger 211 is biased in counterclockwise direction by a spring 215 into engagement with the strip of terminals to be advanced which come from the reel 15 the groove 217 and then into the head 5. A constant drag is applied to the terminals as they move through groove 217 by means of spring loaded drag member 219 which is biased into the groove 217 by means of springs 221. The amount of movement of the feed finger 211 in a vertical direction as seen in FIG. 14 is adjustable and controlled by the screw member 223 as shown in FIG. 15. Screw member 223 is journalled for rotation in the block 209 and is threaded into a block 225 which carries the feed finger pivot pin 213.

The following discussion relates to shearing a terminal from the strip and inserting it into the block. Referring again specifically to FIG. 10, a secondary slide 227 is fixed for reciprocation on a pair of guide bars 229 with the main slide 181 where an interlocking key 331 is positioned within a groove 233 in the main slide 181. Locking key 231 is spring biased out of the groove 233 by means of a spring 235, the key being moved into the groove 233 when the air cylinder 237 is actuated. The actuating means for air cylinder 237 will be described hereinbelow. Slide 227, when reciprocating, provides the shearing operation and the insertion of terminals in the present device. This operation was described previously with respect to FIG. 2 wherein the terminals of FIGS. 3 or 4 are inserted into the block 23. Fixed to the slide 227 is a cam block 239 having a groove 241 therein in which a pin 243 of the lever 245 rides. Lever 245 is pivotally mounted on pin 247 and is rotatable in a clockwise direction to be controlled by downward movement of the cam 239 as shown in F IG. 8. Extension 249 is secured to the lever 245 and mates with the pin 251 mounted in shear blade carrying block 253. Housed in the shear block 253 is a shear blade 255 shown in FIG. 17 and FIGS. 22 and 24. A guide member 257 is mounted directly under the shear element 255 and is fixed for movement therewith and slightly ahead thereof so that it can enter a slot in the strip of terminals and properly position a terminal relative to the shear 255 for shearing action at the proper location.

Referring now to FIGS. 22 and 23, there are shown successive stages in the shearing operation. In FIG. 22, the shearing member 255 is shown ready for operation with a terminal 31 positioned in the shearing position. Upon operation, the shearing device 255 moves downwardly, guide member 257 locating a slot 259 in the terminal carrier strip to locate the same properly with the shearing member 255 and shears away the connection portion 261 which maintains the terminals in a strip. This is shown in FIG. 23. With reference to FIG. 24, occasionally it is desired to have adjacent terminals interconnected. This is accomplished by an electrical device to be explained in more detail hereinbelow. However, the operation in the event such interconnection is desired is to omit a shearing and insertion operation wherein the air cylinder 237 is not operated thereby allowing the main slide 181 to reciprocate without causing the secondary slide 227 to reciprocate therewith. Accordingly, there is no shearing action and no insertion of the terminal solidly into the housing. In the next cycle of the machine, the shearing action will take place as shown in FIG. 24 and the two adjacent terminals 31 will both be inserted into the housing simultaneously. Located under the shear blade 255 and guide member 257 is block 263 (FIGS. 18 and 19) which guide the terminal 31 as it is being inserted into the housing 23. This is accomplished only when slide 227 reciprocates in the manner previously described as will be described at this point. To go back a little, guide block 263 upon movement of slide 227 moves in a downward position and contacts and aligns contact housing 23 for proper insertion of a terminal therein. This is accomplished by means of a series of interfaces operating ofisecondary slide 227 as will now be described. A pin 265 connected to secondary slide 227 abuts the top portion of a pin 267 which is spring biased upwardly by means of a spring 269 within a housing 271. The lower portion 273 of pin 267, working through a series of interfaces operates to move the block 263 as previously explained. Guide block 263 then will move into the notches 275 of the housing 23 of FIG. 2 to properly position the housing with the head. The above description explains the shear operation and the guiding operation.

Insertion of the terminal into the housing will now be discussed. An arm 277 is connected to the secondary slide 227 by means of a pin 279 which extends transversely into a second pin 281 which is spring biased in a downward direction by means of a spring 283 in a housing 285. It is desired that the downward force exerted by the arm 277 not be above some certain predetermined maximum force. Equally important is the seating of the terminal in the bottom of the slot. Accordingly, the spring 283 is chosen which, after its predetermined force is exerted upon the arm 279, causes the spring 283 to recoil or collapse within the housing 285 due to the force applied thereagainst as transmitted from the arm 277, the pin 279 and the pin 281. Arm 277 is coupled by means of a coupling block 287 to the insertion member 289 which leans against the shoulders 291 (FIGS. 3 and 4) to cause the terminal to become rigidly seated within the housing 23. As previously mentioned, it is occasionally desired to have adjacent terminals in the housing 23 interconnected. This is accomplished by skipping a shear and insertion operation during the loading of one of the housings 23 with connectors therein. The stationary table 21 has a pair of switches 25 operated by removable detents 327 (FIG. 1) which are mounted in a block 329 fixed to the other side of the reciprocating table 7 as shown in FIG. 7. Member 325 controls the air cylinder 237 as shown in FIG. 10 as was previously described. It can therefore be seen that the detents 327 and particularly the positioning thereof will determine where shearing operation is to take place during formation of the contact in the housing 23.

To properly position the housing 23 in relation to the insertion heads 3 and 5, a pair of nests 9 and 1 1 (previously discussed) are provided on the reciprocating table 7, there being a housing 23 within the nest. The housing is fixed to the nest and will not move relative thereto. The nests are fixed to the table 7 and will move therewith. Nests 9 and 11 are of similar construction so .that only one of the nests will be described. The only difference is that thenest 11 has an ejection mechanism for ejecting a housing 23 at the end of an operation.

Referring now to FIGS. 28 and 29, the nest 11 is shown in greater detail. Nest 11 includes a cavity portion 293 formed by a yoke member 295 and a movable plate 297. Plate 297 is connected by a pair of arms 299 to a connecting member 301 which is connected to block 303 which is connected to a piston 305 of air cylinder 307. Elements 297, 299, 301, 303, 305 and 307 are not found in the nest 9. I

Nest 9 is merely a complete rectangular cavity blank 293. Corresponding to plate 297 of nest 11 is a part of yoke 295. Each of the nests 9 and 11 has a switch 309 at the bottom portion of the cavity which is depressed by the insertion of a housing 23 therein, the housing depressing the switch member 311 to actuate the switch 309. Arms 299 are fixed for reciprocation in a pair of guide blocks 313 on opposite ends of the yoke 295. One of the arms 299 carries a switch depresser 315 for controlling a pair of switches 317 and 319. The The switch depresser will move in a leftwardly direction as shown in FIG. 26 until depressing the contract arm 321 of switch 319 whereupon the air cylinder is operated due to operation of the switch arm 319 and is caused to retract plate 297. Upon retraction of plate 297 and the arms 299, the switch depresser 315 will contact the switch contact member 323 of the switch 317, thereby causing the air cylinder 307 to cease operation and stop movement of the plate 297 in a rightwardly direction. This will place the nest in the condition for the next operation.

During movement of the plate 297 toward the left as shown in FIG. 26, the housing 23 positioned within the nest 11 will be ejected from the nest due to movement of the plate 297 toward the left. The leftward movement of the plate 297 forms an opening at the bottom of the nest and the housing 23 will then fall therethrough prior to righward movement of the plate 297 as described hereinabove. At this point, a housing 23 which is in the nest 9 will be manually removed and placed into nest 11 for the second series of operations thereon, all housings taken from the nest 9 having only one row of contact position therein as described previously. It can be seen that a completely empty housing will be placed in the nest 9 for operation thereon in the manner previously described.

Though the invention has been described with respect to a specific preferred embodiment thereof, many variations and modifications will immediately become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore the intention that the appended claims be interpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include all such variations and modifications.

We claim:

1. A terminal inserting apparatus which comprises a movable table, means on said table for positioning a housing for insertion of terminals therein from a string of adjacently connected terminals, means for inserting terminals into said housing, control means controlling said table and said means for inserting terminals for stepping said table in a predetermined direction and operating said means for inserting at predetermined times in said stepping operation and severing means responsive to said control means for severing connection between adjacent ones of said terminals.

2. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including means for selectively rendering said severing means non-responsive to said control means.

3. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control means includes a support for supporting said table, switch means on said table for inhibiting the operation of said severing means and support means including selectively positionable means for controlling said switch.

4. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for selectively rendering said severing means non-responsive includes a support for supporting said table, switch means on said table for inhibiting the operation of said severing means and support means including selectively positionalbe means for controlling said switch. I

5. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said selectively positionable means includes detent means selectively positioned on said support means for operating said switch means selectively during movement of said table.

6. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said selectively positionable means includes detent means selectively positioned on said support 

1. A terminal inserting apparatus which comprises a movable table, means on said table for positioning a housing for insertion of terminals therein from a string of adjacently connected terminals, means for inserting terminals into said housing, control means controlling said table and said means for inserting terminals for stepping said table in a predetermined direction and operating said means for inserting at predetermined times in said stepping operation, and severing means responsive to said control means for severing connection between adjacent ones of said terminals.
 2. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including means for selectively rendering said severing means non-responsive to said control means.
 3. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control means includes a support for supporting said table, switch means on said table for inhibiting the operation of said severing means and support means including selectively positionable means for controlling said switch.
 4. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for selectively rendering said severing means non-responsive includes a support for supporting said table, switch means on said table for inhibiting the operation of said severing means and support means including selectively positionalbe means for controlling said switch.
 5. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said selectively positionable means includes detenT means selectively positioned on said support means for operating said switch means selectively during movement of said table.
 6. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said selectively positionable means includes detent means selectively positioned on said support means for operating said switch means selectively during movement of said table.
 7. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including means responsive to the stepping of said table a predetermined distance for ejecting said housing from said table.
 8. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further including means responsive to the stepping of said table a predetermined distance for ejecting said housing from said table.
 9. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 3 further including means responsive to the stepping of said table a predetermined distance for ejecting said housing from said table.
 10. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 4 further including means responsive to the stepping of said table a predetermined distance for ejecting said housing from said table.
 11. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 5 further including means responsive to the stepping of said table a predetermined distance for ejecting said housing from said table.
 12. A terminal inserting apparatus as set forth in claim 6 further including means responsive to the stepping of said table a predetermined distance for ejecting said housing from said table.
 13. A terminal inserting apparatus comprising, means for movably supporting a terminal housing having terminal receiving means, means for successively positioning the housing and a terminal of a string of adjacently connected terminals at a station, means for severing the connection between a terminal at said station and an adjacent terminal upstream of the string of terminals, means for inserting the at least one terminal severed from the downstream end of the string of terminals into the housing, and means for operating the housing and terminal positioning means and the severing and inserting means in timed relation.
 14. A terminal inserting apparatus according to claim 13 including means for selectively inhibiting operation of the severing and inserting means for a predetermined number of times that the housing and a terminal are positioned at the station. 